AT&T’s Humanity Of Connection Event To Celebrate MLK’s Legacy For 50th Anniversary Of His Death

Cicely Tyson, Angela Rye and more will honor the civil rights hero on March 15.

Several celebrities, activists and entrepreneurs will come together to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for an event hosted by AT&T at New York City’s Jazz At Lincoln Center on March 15.

The second annual “Humanity Of Connection” event will recognize and remember the civil rights hero just before the 50th anniversary of his untimely death. Hosted by actor Hill Harper, the night will also include special honorees Cicely Tyson, Angela Rye, Essence Magazine, Inc. President Michelle Ebanks and Wes Brooks, CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation.

Tyson, Rye, Ebanks and Brooks were all featured in a short film titled Humanity Of Connection, which will be shown in honor of MLK at the event. The film, narrated by actor Jeffrey Wright, takes a look at the fight for civil rights 50 years after the passing of Dr. King. Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, National Urban League CEO and President Marc Morial and activist Mary Pat Hector, along with other public figures, will also be highlighted in the film.

The sure-to-be-unforgettable occasion will not only commemorate MLK’s anniversary, but will “celebrate the power of human connectivity and the technologies that chronicle and connect the remarkable achievements of African Americans.” Harper will also host an awards ceremony in addition to the special film screening. This year’s event will most likely be bigger than last year’s inaugural program.

The “Humanity of Connection” will be one of several events across the nation that will remember Dr. King, who was assassinated while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968. This ill-fated day will forever be etched in history, as well as King’s impassioned spirit, brave words and non-violent actions for equality.